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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. rest — a break
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. stand — to bear
  6. tear — from crying
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. rest — what's left
  9. tear — from crying
  10. tear — to rip
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. root — the cause
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. root — of a word
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. content — happy
  23. root — of a plant
  24. rest — what's left

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com